In June of this year, the Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles (CrB) and the Royal Conservatory of Brussels (KCB), School of Arts of the Erasmushogeschool Brussel (EhB) vacated their historic building at 30 Rue de la Régence, to make way for major renovation works that will start this month. The works are expected to last 5 years. During this period, the heritage collections of the library of both conservatories will be housed at the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR), the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) and the State Archives in Leuven. More than one kilometre of scores, archival documents and valuable works on music will therefore be temporarily added to the collections of KBR. Staff and services for readers will also be temporarily rehoused.

An exceptional music library

The library of the Royal Conservatories of Brussels is jointly managed by the CrB and the EhB-KCB, with support from Belspo. The library’s collections cover music from the Middle Ages to the present day in the Western world. These include thousands of valuable German and Italian scores from the 18th century, both printed and handwritten, as well as the CeBeDeM fund (formerly Centre Belge de Documentation Musicale) with more than 300 running metres of works by 20th-century Belgian composers. The library offers various services to its readers, including consultation, loans, digitisation and lending of documents. It is also a centre of pedagogical knowledge for all students and teachers of both conservatories.

Since this summer, one kilometre of valuable documents have been stored at KBR, more specifically in a special warehouse with suitable security and climate control. KBR will devote the same care to the Conservatory’s collection as it does to its own treasures.

A move that fosters collaboration

This development is not simply about moving or housing collections. The collections of the conservatories and KBR are complementary – scores, musicians’ correspondence, printed works, concert programmes and posters, photographs, sound documents, archival documents and various artefacts (paintings, sculpture, instruments, etc.) – and it is the intention on this occasion is to enhance the collaboration.

The move is good news for the institutions in several ways. KBR will gain a new audience of musicians and artists. Conversely, regular visitors to KBR can explore the conservatories’ collections.

The arrival of the conservatories’ library at KBR will also lead to new joint projects to open up the collections. The collaboration has already taken concrete form with the preservation of the statue of Irma Sèthe by Belgian sculptor Paul Du Bois (the statue is part of the conservatories’ collection of works of art) to the Music department of the KBR. The sculpture was set up in the concert hall and was put in the spotlight for the KBR concert “Homage to Irma Sèthe” on 18 October 2024.

We are delighted to welcome both teams and the most valuable part of the collections of the library of the Royal Conservatories to our institution. This collaboration opens interesting possibilities for the public, who will now have the opportunity to consult and study these two perfectly complementary collections in one and the same place. It will also foster mutual collaboration, whether in opening up or researching our collections. – Sara Lammens, General Director at KBR

In the context of our library’s relocation for the duration of the works to restore the historic building of the Royal Conservatories of Brussels, we are delighted to have found a solution that offers new possibilities, which are generating a lot of enthusiasm. The fact that some of our collections and staff will be housed at the KBR during the works will give our students and faculty access to a very enriching collection and working environment. This solution is also beneficial for consultation and research for our target audiences, as the collections of our respective institutions will be accessible in one and the same place. We hope that this situation, which will remain in place for several years, will lead to the development of enriching collaborations around educational, scientific or artistic projects and also that any collaborations will be perpetuated once our collections return to a beautifully renovated conservatory. – Olivia Wahnon de Oliveira, Director CrB, Dennis Cluydts, General Director EhB et Jan D’haene, Director KCB